Brazil ends Visa requirement for Australians

From June 17, American, Australian, Canadian and Japanese citizens who wish to disembark in Brazil, for tourism or business, will be exempt from visas.

The end of the requirement is part of a decree published by the Brazilian government on Monday, 18th. The measure intends to increase the number of visitors in the country.

According to the text, the benefit
includes visitors who have valid passports traveling for leisure and business
tourism, artistic or sporting activities or in exceptional situations for
national interest. The initiative is valid also for tourists in transit in
Brazil.

The stay can last up to 90 days,
extendable for the same period if it does not exceed 180 days, every 12 months,
counted from the date of the first entry in the Country. If the time limit is
exceeded, the visitor will be illegal and subject to measures of the Brazilian
government.

The four countries benefiting from
the visa waiver were part of a pilot project started in 2017 that implemented the
electronic visa for anyone from these countries wishing to visit Brazil.
According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), visa facilitation measures
can increase the flow of tourists by 25% in countries that adopt the practice.

In Brazil, the results were even
better. In just one year of operation of the electronic visa, there was a
35.23% increase in visa emissions (electronic and traditional), considering the
flow of the four countries contemplated. If these visas become a trip, the
expectation is a total impact of US $ 1 billion on the Brazilian economy.

The expectation of the Ministry of
Tourism is that the measure will help the country reach the mark of 12 million
foreign visitors by 2022 compared to the current 6, 6 million. The goal
established by the National Tourism Plan 2018-2022 aims to reduce the exchange
rate deficit of the sector, which back in 2017 only stood at the US $ 13.2
billion.

About Kate Webster

Kate Webster is the founder and owner of Captured Travel Media. She is a world traveller, ocean lover and conservation warrior who is determined to make every moment count for not only herself, but the world around her. An editor and travel journalist, Kate travels the globe in search of vivid imagery and compelling stories that capture the essence of the people and places she visits. She is a passionate conservation advocate, sustainable traveller and always travels with reason and cause.